Five Times Dori Helped Dwalin and the One Time Dwalin Helped Dori
by MissMandS
Summary: It wasn't that she didn't like kids. It was that these kids were being trusted to her. These kids' worlds had just fallen out from underneath their feet and now were going to be settled with their cousin. In her opinion, they should have gone to Balin. Balin, who was already doing something with life and had decided years ago. Fem!Dwalin, fem!Dori. Part three of Femslash February.


She can remember hearing the quote once that adoption is life altering. At the time, it was Balin who said it. He'd said it as Dwalin put Thorin, Frerin and Dís into her car. The funeral was over. Her clothes were stained with tears and mucus, some of it hers and some of it theirs. It was hard to tell the difference though. She had held Thorin's hand while Frerin sat on her leg and Dís slept heavily on her arm.

She had barely heard her brother over the thoughts that had whirled around in her head. It wasn't that she didn't like kids. It was that these kids were being trusted to her. These kids' worlds had just fallen out from underneath their feet and now were going to be settled with their cousin. In her opinion, they should have gone to Balin. Balin, who was already doing something with life and had decided years ago. Who actually knew how to cook and discipline the kids. Balin who could actually handle the life altering decision that had been asked of them.

Dwalin's apartment once free of any toys and books is now full of them. Toys litter the living room floor where Thorin and Frerin play, in the shower which she steps on every morning and in their bedrooms. They even surround Dís who lies on a blanket, staring up at the things above her. It's on these toys she steps, barefoot and cursing as she adjusts her hold on a screaming Dís. Thorin and Frerin trail behind her, rubbing at their eyes and grumbling as she urges them to hurry on.

"How are you Miss Dwalin?" The cheerful voice can belong to none other than her neighbor Bofur. The little boy bounces alongside her, the flaps of his hat bobbing up and down as they make their way outside.

"Tired. What idiot decided we need to have a fire drill at three in the morning?" Dwalin growls. Bofur seems undeterred by her tone, his smile still in place as they walk downstairs. Joining him are his younger brother Bombur, a portly little redhead boy who waddles down the stairs in footy pajamas. Bifur, their guardian walks after them with a grumble, rubbing at his forehead.

"How come you're so prepared for this?" Dwalin asks as they step outside. She's struggling to keep Thorin and Frerin from falling over while attempting to soothe a shrieking Dís. Bifur though looks calm albeit a little annoyed as he attempts to keep Bofur and Bombur by his side.

"Dori he—he—helped me." Bifur says and smiles at someone across the parking lot.

"Who's Dori?" Dwalin cannot remember any neighbor named Dori nor can she remember seeing Bifur with anyone by that name.

"That would be me." Dwalin wonders if it's possible to turn green with envy as she comes face to face with a woman with three children of her own, all of them quiet. Strapped to her in a sling is a wide eyed baby who sucks happily on a pacifier despite all the noise. Dori takes one look at Dís then reaches into the pocket of her robe, pulling out a baggy of pacifiers.

"All of them are clean." Dori promises as she pulls out a pacifier and hands it over to Dwalin. She doesn't give it a second thought before she pops the pacifier into Dís' mouth. Dís gives a sniffle and then begins sucking contently and Dwalin sighs with relief, looking at the woman across from her.

At her feet are two little boys, one with gingery red hair and the other one a headful of sandy curls. They clutch her robe tightly, watching Dwalin with nervous eyes as she adjusts her hold on the now calm Dís.

"We can go in now mama Dori." The sandy haired boy whispers and Dwalin realizes that people are beginning to file back into the apartments. With a final smile at her the woman turns and walks back into her apartment.

Dwalin stands there for a moment, unsure if her legs will work when a small hand tugs on hers and she realizes that Thorin is staring up at her.

"I'm sleepy." He says and blinks furiously as Frerin lets out a particularly loud yawn. Dwalin nods and ushers them back inside; silently promising herself that she won't step on any toys this time. But as she steps back into their apartment her bare foot makes contact with Lego and she finds herself biting back a hiss as the boys stumble for their beds. Still grumbling she follows the boys in their room, tugging the covers up.

"Goodnight, my little lads." Dwalin says and presses a kiss to their foreheads, smiling as both Thorin and Frerin bring their arms up to hug her broad shoulders. Dís is not so easy to put back to bed. She watches Dwalin from her spot on the floor as she walks around, picking up the toys that litter her living room floor.

"Balin told me that adoption is life altering. He told me that the day that your ma and pa died. I remember because he looked at me and I could tell he didn't trust me with you all. I knew that he was panicking and the only thing that kept him from stealing my car and driving away was because you weren't in your car seat." Dís lets out a gurgle, muffled by the pacifier in her mouth. She will have to remember to wash the pacifier and bring it back to that woman. It occurs to her as she's lifting up Dís that she has no idea where the woman lives in the apartment complex.

Dwalin groans and lets her head droop, resting her forehead against Dís' forehead. With each blink, sniffle and raised hand her heart aches a little bit more. Dwalin huffs as she stares at the dark haired baby and shakes her head.

"What were your parents thinking?"

* * *

For elenorasweet on aO3: because you are such a sweet person who always leaves me the most thoughtful comments and made me start shipping this couple :3

I hope you are ready for a lot of tooth rotting fluff including Bofur and Nori trying to woo a little Bilbo with flowers and rocks; Bombur in footies and Dwalin singing along to Disney movies.

I almost didn't get this one done today. It was a very long, very stressful, crappy day. But anyways, tomorrow is coming and it'll (hopefully) be better. I have started the Galadriel/Dwalin, Oin/Tauriel and am working on a Thorin/Belladonna. Let me know what you want to see tomorrow everyone!


End file.
